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Mid-South ride, eat, and meet

I forgot to mention that there were some neat bikes that made the ride. Peter Guldan on his Vincent Black Shadow and Snowdan Todd on a lightly modified R80ST. 100GS tank, PD seat, low exhaust with Supertrap muffler. I've got a R80ST and I've some of those same parts to modify mine. Peter is allways off the chart with his Vincents, Indians, Harley's, and all his other toys. Sometimes it good to be me. Now for a nap to get over ridding with them kids.
 
I've received several e-mails about Bobby Petrino head football coach at Ark. , runnin off the rode on his Harley. Says he was prettry banged up. Saw the picture of the bike over in the ditch surrounded by a bunch of log/trees. Some people just don't belong on a motorcycle; might be the case here. Hope he pulls through with no long term problems. We need Ar. in a BCS bowl next year.
 
Apr. Ride Eat Meet

The Rams are havin their Apr. meetin at Village Creek State Park, just ouside of Wynne, Ar. Apr. 14. Meal at 12:00 meeting 1:30. Clue to meal. Must be cooked in foil. Sounds like if your eaten with the RAMS, A good idea would be to bring baked potato, corn the cob, steak. shish ka bob. Most likely they will have campers, I'm sure Friday and Sat. night. This is about as close as any little rally meeting is close to me so I hope I can attend. I hope what ever bike I ride can take the thin air of the high altitudes of Crowley's Ridge. I think some of the peaks reach 200 ft. .:D
 
Ye Olde Bike Club Thursday night meet

Meet tomorrow night at Bubba's Alehouse & Grill 7041 Hwy 64 Bartlett. 6:30pm All riders welcome. I'm sure all those cafe racer kids will be telling all those in attendence about my great riding skills from last weeks ride. Not. :nono
 
Bike Nite Sidecar Cafe in Memphis

Bike nite has started at Robilio's Sidecar Cafe. Wendesday Nites, 7-10pm. 2194 Whitten Rd. next to Bumpass H/D. It's about 2 blocks north of I-40 on the east side of Memphis. Happy hour from 3-7. Usually has bands playing out on the patio. I rate the food here as really good. Any time you see Robilio is the name it's usually synonomous with good food. Good selection of adult beverages.
 
Wed. Bike Nite, Joe's Crabshack

Wed. Bike Nite. Joe's Crabshack has started.7990 Horizon Blvd. North of I-40 X16 off Germantown Pkwy. Across from Wolfchase Galleria. Nice outdoor parking. Anyway these are a couple of places that if you find yourself in Memphis and the Mid South and want a place to ride and eat and see some bikes, these might feel the bill. Also there are a lot of other restaurants close to Joe's if seafood ain't your thing. The last few years Joe's has had a band outside for entertainment. Beale St. opens later this month for Bikes on Beale.
 
Got the call yesterday mourning that the guys were having the friday tech session at the West Memphis Airport hanger. Got my errands done and headed over. The center of focus was the KLR. Spencer is riding it out West with Rick,who will be on a 1200GS. This bike is getting a lot of upgrades. This go round was the doohicky , and front disc upgrade. Can't believe all the work needed to do the Doohicky upgrade, but it was done. The special wrench was a must have tool to complete this job. Then the big disc change out. Again a lot of work. It really wasn't a turn key swap as the carrier needed modifications to work properly. Rick did a lot of filing on the disc carrier to fit. Spencer ran the new braided brake lines. Final decision, was a larger brake reservoir is needed to deal with the twin pot calipers. This is going to be one fine outfitted KLR when completed. Very informative tech session, I learned a lot.
 
April ON's

Got it today in the bag. THANKS. The first one I've received in almost a year that hasn't been mangled and shredded. :thumb My Arkansas club got the rally listed in When and Where. The Natural State Rally, now across the river from our long time rally site. May 18-20. This is a great rally if your on a tight budget, no rally fee; just pay camping fee. Excellent riding in the area. I'm looking forward to seeing all my club comrades; I can allready smell the coffee.
 
Yep, got my Anon. book this week. I'm planning to ride my '71 R50/5 to the RAMS campout and monthly meeting at Village Creek State Park at Wynne, Ar. I will carry the A book. If I have a problem on the rode I will call the closest member in the book, which is me. I hope I'll be home to come and give me assistance. :laugh I'm lookin forward to the ride over as it's the closest BMW event that I have a chance to attend. I know quite a few of the Ram membership is riding down to Mississippi to the Dogwood Trail Rally. It's sad to have a conflick of interest.
 
Bikes on Beale Street 2012

Starts this Wednesday April 18 in Memphis. This is truely a one of a kind weekly bike nite. Many fine restaurants and many bands playing. Most of the clubs with bands have free admission. Ride eastbound only on Beale St. Park your bike out front on Beale in any open spot. Parking is free. Beale St is the historical home of much of real American music. Blues, Rock&Roll, Rockabilly, Southern Rock, all of it. The endless parade of bikes going down Beale and those parked on Beale is still the hi light of the night. 5pm-12 mid- night So this is truely a Mid- South ride, eat, meet, event.:eat:drink:groovy:dance:beer
 
Got off to a late start, the R50 ran flawlessly on the 40 mile trip over. I think there were about 40 in attendance. Cooking and eating was the centerpiece of this campout, and these folks know how to do both. I took corn on the cob and baked potatoes, all consumed. All sorts of concoctions were baked and grilled. All tasty. The peach cobbler dessert was over the top. This is definately an epicurean riding club. My R50 was the oldest bike and only airhead. I remember when /5's were winning oldest bike awards at large rallies and being booed for not being /2's. I rode back after dark killing thousands of rice bugs, just like the old days when I rode all over Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennesse at night to make a rally. Riding my R50 has rekindled my love affair with airheads. :thumb
 
I mentioned Peter Guldan and his Indian 4 in the previous post. I have known Peter for 25 years or all of my motorcycle life. Peter has restored or refurbished a variety bikes and scooters over his carrer. All to a rather exquisite level that I have not seen in an individual who doesn't make his living restoring bikes. His list includes Harley's, Indians, Vincents, Nortons, BMW's, Vellocettes, Vespas, etc. A couple of his bikes were featured in Classic bike magazine back in the 90's, a Norton Commando and BMW R50/2. One of the headlines was 'Is this the World's Fusiest Restorer'. The level of his work was astounding. Anyway, Peter has mellowed over the years and he has his little web site which he details and discusses some of those restorations. I think you will find it under a search for A Red Rapide or www.patwilliamsracing.com/vincent/ This really covers a lot of what all of us go through finding a bike, the restoration problems and hurdles, and getting to the finished project. Peter tells his story in own rather unique way.

Bikes on Beale inaugural Bike Nite 2012 was a total success. Perfect evening weather to kick it off. Pulled into my spot of the last 8 years in front of Superior BBQ, and the Really Big $5 Beer. Just as last year Emily was there to serve us. Street was packed with the just rite amount of bikes. It wasn't long before Peter on a '48 Chief and Pat on a '71 Commando showed up and parked on either side of me. Memphis Kings scooter club rode in. Then the Mummies rode thru on their cool derelict Jap bobbers. Yep is all right in the world. If your interested in some of Peter's cool bikes go to the site listed above. Some really over the top vintage bikes.
 
Spencer is headed over to the hanger to work on the KLR. I'm fixin to go out to my garage and get the rear wheel off the R50. It's getting a new tire mounted and balanced over at the hanger. Hope to ride over to the winery tomorrow and meet up with the Memphis Kings Scooter club. The scooter club is havin a scooter rally this weekend in Memphis. Today their riding down to the Tunica casinos. Hope I'm able to ride tomorrow and meet them at the Old Millington Winery. On their website they had a message to the riders headin gown to Tunica. Must be able to maintain a 50mph average. Different types of clubs deal with different challenges.
 
Well Spencer finished his over the top KLR, with Rick's help. Spencer and Rick helped me change the tire on the R50 rear wheel. For some reason easier said than done. I have a line on a complete Nomar machine, will get more active pursueing it.
 
Just received the Apr./May issue of the Beemer Bulletin. The newsletter of the Naturally Beemers of Ar. Had an article on the Arkansas Grand Tours. The first one announced, 1988, was the County Seat tour of Ar. Go to all 75 county seats in Ar. Funny thing is 10 counties had dual county seats, 85 in total. I luved it, I was off an riding. Took me almost a year and half. Turned my info in and was just proud that I got to ride all over Ar.. A couple of months later I got a package in the mail, in it was a commenerative coffe cup and congratulatory letter. Barry Phillips First Finisher The Great Arkansas Tour 1990. It really wasn't a contest to be first, but I was proud to get it. The one and only time I was first at anything in my whole life. :groovy:dance:thumb
 
Another Grand tour we started back in the day was The Six Corners Tour of Ar. Again, I was off an riding. This grand tour I road as a single trip. My plan was to ride the 6 corners in a clock wise motion, with the first stop being the Southeast corner. It was well over 100 degrees when I left and arrived in Southeast Ar.. Rode across south Ar. in one of the hottest rides I've ever been on. The temps were in the 103-106 degree range. Got the 2 corners done south and west of Texarkana. Headed north to to the northwest corner. Got it , then crossed the Missouri border and went to the BMW Hillbilly Rally. Had a good time, what I remember most was sitting waist deep in the Big Elk River, gulping down cold beer and cooling off from the heat. Sittin in that river was heaven after the hell of riden in Ar.. After the rally headed east and got the 2 northeast corners and then rode home. At a Naturally Beemer Fall campout I was given a plaque for completing that ride, Nice. I think I was the 3rd or 4th to complete that grand tour. Can't believe it's been over 20 years ago. Back then I had a head full of beautiful reddish brown hair. Now I have , well lets just say I still have hair. :ha
 
Back in the late 80's, early 90's I was running those tours and endless other rides, rallies, and runs on an old rag of a '74 R90/6. Those rides were allways done on a wing and a prayer. Got that bike apart now and slowly and I mean slowly gettin it back together. When done it will be the bike as I allways envisioned as a class act. Hope to have it done for the 25 year anniversary of our Naturally Beemer club, 2013.
 
Bikes on Beale

Rode the R50 over to Bikes on Beale last night. New rear tire inspired a more confident ride. Got there a little late. The usual gang out in front of Superior BBQ and the Big $5 Beer Stand. Emily poured me a big Bud , I pulled out a Backwoods cigar and I was good to go. I was parked next to Pat's Norton and Peter's Indian Four. Marshall and Chris were there on a couple of /2's. Bikes coming, bikes going, bikes sittin, bikes a showin. As usual Pat's Norton and Peter's Four were gettin all the attention. That Four was gettin it's picture taken every time some one walked by it. The usual gang just stood around impromto conversin, catchin up and soakin up the whole ambiance of the evening. Dennis DeAngelo, rode up on a '73 Eldorado; my personal favorite bike of the night. Just reminds me so much of the style I'm workin toward on my '74 R90. Hopefully I'll get the chance to show Dennis all the back roads north of Memphis along the river. Maybe a visit to the Winery is in order. My little R50 pured like a kitten all the way back to the house. :dance
 
Gotta freight run over to Ft Smith, Ar.. After I got the load delivered, I went site seein. Downtown to Ft. Smith to Miss Laurie's Ft. Smith Welcome center. Rode my R90/6 here for my first Naturally Beemer event back in 1988. A little 580 mile day ride just to meet some of the other new members for lunch. Can't believe it's been 24 years ago. Went over and toured old Fort Smith the pioneer history of the area. Got my Civil War passbook stamped. Saw the movie posters of True Grit and Hangem High. Both movie's used Ft. Smith as a backdrop. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, I've watched both movie's many times. Ft. Smith was known as Hell on The Border and the Gallows at the historic site is a true testament to that.
 
Don Qualls called and wanted me to come to North Little Rock to be at a vintage race bike and vintage racers event, Sunday. Drove over Sunday to Spectators bar and grill. They had about 20 vintage race bikes on display and somewhat more old vintage ex bike racers. Most of the people their were local people to the area and were aquainted with each other. Nice bikes and people. Went out several times to see the street bikes people rode in on. A couple of airheads and a K75. A good variety of bikes, the day was perfect for riding. the whole weekend was perfect for riding and I saw 100's of bikes out and about.
 
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